Scottish Executive

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers social work departments have to assist children and families from whom welfare benefits are withdrawn under clause 7 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Bill.

Euan Robson: If as a result of asylum support being withdrawn, a local authority considered that any child concerned was one in need or one for whom accommodation should be provided under section 25 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, then it could exercise its powers in the usual way.

Birds

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take to address the reported decline in golden eagle numbers that has occurred between 1992 and 2003 south of the Great Glen and what factors have caused this decline.

Allan Wilson: A national survey of golden eagles was undertaken by Scottish Natural Heritage, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Scottish Raptor Study Groups in 2003. Publication of the findings is expected in 2005 and the Scottish Executive will then consider what further action is required.

Birds

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many special protection areas (SPAs), under Article 4 of the EU Birds Directive, have been declared in which golden eagles are named as a qualifying species; how many pairs are fully protected, by the inclusion of their home range within the site boundary, by those SPAs where golden eagles are named as a qualifying species; what percentage of the population of golden eagles in Scotland this represents, and what plans it has for further designations.

Allan Wilson: Eight special protection areas (SPAs) have been classified by the Scottish Executive for the protection of golden eagle in Scotland. These cover an area of almost 344,000 ha or 4.4% of Scotland’s land mass.

  No figures are available on the number of home ranges which are fully within the site network for this very wide-ranging species, although most recent data indicate that there are 79 pairs which have at least part of their range within the eight classified sites.

  Based on the numbers of pairs which have at least part of their range within designated sites, an estimated 19% of the total Scottish population is protected by SPA for which golden eagles are named as a qualifying species. 58% of the overall population have at least part of their range within the wider network of Natura sites where habitats are protected. All golden eagles in Scotland are also fully protected under the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

  A new national survey of golden eagle was undertaken in 2003 and once the results are analysed and published (expected in 2005) the Scottish Executive will seek advice from Scottish Natural Heritage on whether further sites can be identified which should be considered for future classification.

Buildings

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding sources are available to help reconstruct, or refurbish, places of worship.

Ms Margaret Curran: It is for individual congregations, or their denominational bodies, to insure against damage or loss. Places of worship in need of urgent repair may apply under a new Places of Worship Grants Scheme introduced in 2002. The scheme is run in partnership by Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The scheme has a total annual budget of £5 million and applications are invited twice a year in March and September. A Directory of Grants for Places of Worship in Scotland, compiled by Historic Scotland and the Scottish Civic Trust, is available and I am arranging for you to receive a copy.

Dentistry

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many postgraduate dental training posts it has approved for the Grampian NHS Board area and how many new posts it will approve and support for the area in each of the next three years.

Mr Tom McCabe: Currently, there is one specialist registrar training post within Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, based at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. A trainee in restorative dentistry visits Aberdeen for training purposes on a weekly basis.

  There are also nine vocational dental trainees within NHS Grampian.

  The allocation of training places in each NHS board is reviewed on an on-going basis to reflect service need. As the number of posts is dependent upon both local ability to offer training places and applicants to fill those places, it is not possible to provide long-term projections.

Equal Opportunities

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it will issue to voluntary organisations and the public sector in respect of the implementation of EU directive 2000/78/EC.

Ms Margaret Curran: The purpose of EU Directive 2000/78/EC is to lay down a general framework for combating discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation as regards employment and occupation, with a view to putting into effect in the member states of the European Union the principle of equal treatment.

  Responsibility for equal opportunities, including the matters dealt with by this Directive, is reserved. Information and guidance is available from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to allow all employers in England, Scotland and Wales to familiarise themselves with the regulations so far brought into force to implement the Directive, the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 and the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003. The Department of Work and Pensions provides information about the Regulations to come into force in October 2004 to implement the disability provisions of the Directive. The DTI also provides information about its proposals for Regulations to come into force in October 2006 to implement the age provisions of the Directive.

  Scottish Enterprise has provided information on the new Regulations relating to religion and belief and sexual orientation to all of its business advisers and business clients, who may include voluntary sector businesses. The Highlands and Islands Equality Forum has been tasked by Highlands and Islands Enterprise with engaging the private, voluntary and public sectors on all aspects of equality legislation and good practice issues.

  The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and the wider voluntary sector in Scotland on a wide range of issues, including equal opportunities.

Equal Opportunities

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with Her Majesty’s Government anent changes to Scots law brought about by the implementation of EU directive 2000/78/EC.

Ms Margaret Curran: The purpose of EU Directive 2000/78/EC is to lay down a general framework for combating discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation as regards employment and occupation, with a view to putting into effect in the member states of the European Union the principle of equal treatment.

  Responsibility for equal opportunities, including the matters dealt with by this Directive, is reserved. The Scottish Executive works closely and is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including equal opportunities.

Erskine Bridge

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the £13,712,663 accumulated surplus identified in the Erskine Bridge accounts for 2000-01 is consistent with section 4(2) of the Erskine Bridge Tolls Act 1968.

Nicol Stephen: Yes. Audit Scotland have certified that the 2000-2001 accounts were properly prepared in accordance with Erskine Bridge Tolls Act 1968.

Fisheries

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether, under the recently agreed quota arrangements, Scottish fishermen should be allowed to utilise the unused days at sea of other Scottish vessels that for any reason cannot use their allocation.

Allan Wilson: Arrangements are in place under EU rules to provide, within certain limits, for the transfer of unused days between vessels.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the target dates are for the implementation of free dental and eye checks and what the results of its negotiations were with relevant professional bodies with regard to the provision of such services.

Mr Tom McCabe: We have undertaken to systematically introduce free dental and eye checks for all before 2007. Discussions with the relevant professions on the method of introduction are on-going.

Housing

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking, or plans to take, to improve the time within which housing associations pay their bills to suppliers; whether each such association publishes a record of the percentage of bills paid within 30 days and, if not, whether the Executive will require them to do so.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive, Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) are regulated and inspected by Communities Scotland. Communities Scotland does not, however, get involved in the different payment arrangements that exist between individual RSLs and their suppliers.

  RSLs are independent businesses and it is up to the RSL to agree the terms of any contract entered into with a supplier; payment terms will differ from supplier to supplier.

  The Confederation of British Industry Prompt Payers Code encourages payment within the suppliers terms and the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 encourages creditors to pay within the terms of their contract and allows a right to claim interest from all businesses for late payment of bills.

  As the regulator, we expect RSLs to pay contractors promptly, within the terms of the contract. During our periodic inspections, we will examine how well an RSL is performing in this area. If we find that an RSL is making late payments without due cause then we would investigate this and expect the RSL to take corrective action.

  There are no plans to require RSLs to publish a record of how promptly they pay their suppliers.

Housing

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Pathfinder Inspection Report on East Lothian Council by Communities Scotland, what concerns it has regarding the limit placed by the council on vacant properties on offer to homeless households in priority need and whether this breaches the council’s statutory duties.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Ms Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The Executive’s concerns regarding this matter are set out in paragraph 7.3 of the Pathfinder Inspection Report on East Lothian Council. This states that "The Council places a limit on the number of vacant properties that can be offered to homeless households in priority need, either in its own housing or through nominations to RSLs. This is resulting in many homeless households spending relatively long periods of time in temporary accommodation while awaiting permanent housing."

  In terms of section 20 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (as amended), a local authority has an obligation to give reasonable preference to homeless persons as well as other groups in the allocation of its housing. There is no legislative provision that prevents the local authority from limiting the allocation of vacant houses in its ownership in respect of certain categories of applicant.

  The local authority has a statutory duty under section 31 of the 1987 Act to secure permanent accommodation for homeless people in priority need. The concern raised in the Pathfinder Inspection Report does not directly relate to the local authority’s fulfilment of the duty under section 31 but to the length of time many homeless people are waiting before the duty is fulfilled.

Housing

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Pathfinder Inspection Report on East Lothian Council by Communities Scotland, what steps it can take when a council breaches its statutory duty.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland, acting on behalf of Scottish Ministers, in terms of Part 3 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, has powers to require a local authority to submit a plan setting out how it will deal with the matters of concern raised in an Inspection Report. Once this plan has been agreed, the local authority is required to implement it. If Communities Scotland considers that the plan is not being satisfactorily implemented, it also has the power to appoint a special manager to ensure that the necessary action is taken to deal with the issues raised in the Inspection Report.

Housing

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive under what authority housing associations, such as the Ayrshire North Community Housing Organisation, charge owner-occupiers an annual estate management fee where no such charge has been levied before.

Ms Margaret Curran: When Scottish Homes’ stock transferred to housing associations, such as Ayrshire North Community Housing Organisation, the feu superiority and the title to all the relevant common areas also passed to the new landlord. The new landlord, as the feu superior, has the legal right to use Clause Ninth in the owners’ Deed of Conditions, which refers to feuing conditions, to ask the owner-occupiers for a share of the cost incurred by the superiors in carrying out work relating to the maintenance of these common areas. It is for the landlord as feu superior to determine the frequency of charges made for such work.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the £175 million regeneration fund for local authorities that make a commitment to housing stock transfer will be made available to Glasgow Housing Association Ltd.

Ms Margaret Curran: No. The Glasgow Housing Association’s business plan will enable it to deliver its regeneration commitments in Glasgow. The Scottish Executive has already provided substantial resources to ensure that the plan is fully fundable.

Parliamentary Questions

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S2W-3857.

Mr Tom McCabe: Question S2W-3857 was answered on 17 February 2004.

Police

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it is committing to the provision of DNA testing.

Cathy Jamieson: We have recently made an additional £1 million available to the Scottish Police Service to support the development of DNA in the investigation of crime. Around £800,000 will be used by forces to purchase eight genetic analysers which are used in the process of developing DNA profiles obtained from samples taken both at the point of arrest and from crime scenes. The remaining money will be allocated to increasing DNA sampling levels across Scotland. Together, these measures will give the Scottish Police Service equipment that is as up to date as any in the world and will, in turn, assist in solving more crimes.

Population

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of (a) persons lived in households without access to a car, (b) economically active males were unemployed, (c) persons lived in a private household with a density of more than one person per room and (d) persons lived in households with an economically active head of household in social class 4 or 5, as detailed in the (i) 1991 and (ii) 2001 censuses.

Ms Margaret Curran: The information requested is shown in the following table

  

 Percentage of:
 1991 Census
 2001 Census


 Persons living in households 
  with no access to a car
 34
 26


 Economically active men 
  who are unemployed1
 14
 7


 Persons living in private 
  households with a density of more than one person per room
 7
 5


 Employed persons who are 
  in routine/semi-routine NS-SeC occupational categories2
 36
 28



  Sources: 1991 Census data on car access and household density are published in Housing & Availability of Cars (Scotland) Report and Report for Scotland (Part 1)

  1991 and 2001 data on economic activity and occupational category are published in the Registrar General's 2001 Census Report to the Scottish Parliament available on the General Register Office for Scotland’s website (www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/grosweb/grosweb.nsf/pages/scotcen4)

  2001 data on car access in available on the 2001 Scottish Census Results On-Line website (www.scrol.gov.uk)

  2001 data on household density were provided by the General Register Office for Scotland

  Notes:

  1. Figures are for males aged 16-74 and exclude full time students.

  2. The 2001 Census uses the new National Statistics Socio-economic Classification and the 1991 Census data were retabulated to this classification for purposes of comparison.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future of Bowhouse Prison in Kilmarnock.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  HMP Kilmarnock will continue to be an important part of the prison estate during the remainder of the 25 year contract period.

Right to Buy

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the results of its research into right to buy sales and resales.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive has not yet commissioned further research into right to buy sales and re-sales. This is being considered in line with the requirement to assess the impact of the right to buy, as required by section 52 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.

Roads

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures will be undertaken to improve and upgrade the A75 in each of the next five years and what funding has been allocated to each of these projects.

Nicol Stephen: The following improvements to the A75 are currently being prepared and their cost has been included in the Scottish budget settlement for 2003-06. The settlement will ensure that subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures the schemes requiring funding during this period will be able to proceed to construction.

  

 Scheme
 Start date
 Cost


 Barfil to Bettyknowes
 Construction 
  start programmed for 2004-05
 £3.1 million


 Cairntop to Barlae 
 Construction 
  start programmed for 2005-06
 £5.0 million


 Newton Stewart (DAL) Differential Acceleration Lane

 Construction 
  start programmed for 2005-06
 £1.7 million


 Planting End to Drumflower

 Construction 
  start programmed for 2005-06
 £3.5 million


 Dunragit Realignment
 Construction 
  start programmed for 2006-07
 £12.1million


 Hardgrove to Kinmount
 Construction 
  start programmed for 2006-07
 £6.2 million

Schools

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote "Spring Day in Europe 2004" in Scottish schools and how many schools have registered for the initiative.

Euan Robson: Involvement in the EU’s annual "Spring Day in Europe" celebration is at the discretion of schools and local authorities. The Scottish Executive has already sent detailed information on this year’s event to international co-ordinators in all local authorities. This will be forwarded to schools to promote participation.

  At present, five Scottish schools are registered for "Spring Day". Regularly updated information on registrations is available from the European Schoolnet at:

  http://futurum2004.eun.org/ww/en/pub/futurum2004/index.cfm.

Schools

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many secondary schools there are under each local authority.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is given in table 40 of the statistical bulletin published by the Education Department in August 2003. A copy of the bulletin is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 29040).

Smoking

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the proposed regulation of smoking Bill by Stewart Maxwell MSP or whether it will introduce its own legislation.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive has not had an opportunity to consider the practicalities of Stewart Maxwell’s Bill in detail. However, it is premature to reach a decision on legislation ahead of research which we have commissioned on the evidence base for introducing smoking restrictions and hearing the views of the Scottish people. We will consult widely during the summer and will reach a decision once we have considered all the necessary evidence and opinions.

Social Economy

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Social Economy Action Plan will be published.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: We are developing the action plan and hope to make an announcement shortly.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which social inclusion partnerships (a) underspent and (b) overspent their budget in 2002-03 and by how much in each case.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  2002-03 figures are being finalised at present. The table gives the expenditure claimed to date.

  

 Social Inclusion 
  Partnership
 Total1 
  Allocation
 Expenditure
 Underspend


 Aberdeen Great 
  Northern
 1,026,631
 1,026,631
 0


 Argyll and Bute
 493,841
 485,914
 7,927


 Edinburgh Youth 
  SIP
 663,059
 646,787
 16,272


 Edinburgh North
 2,621,294
 2,550,717
 70,577


 Edinburgh Craigmillar
 1,970,891
 1,969,955
 936


 Edinburgh South
 1,672,832
 1,652,643
 20,189


 Edinburgh Strategic 
  Programme
 530,607
 502,257
 28,350


 Alloa South and 
  East
 1,196,115
 1,132,734
 63,381


 Dundee SIP1
 2,446,889
 2,383,387
 63,502


 Dundee SIP2
 462,428
 420,955
 41,473


 Dundee Xplore
 575,212
 514,835
 60,377


 Dundee Young Carers
 199,265
 176,532
 22,733


 East Ayrshire 
  Coalfields
 1,951,396
 1,951,118
 278


 Tranent
 223,898
 223,898
 0


 Levern Valley
 526,273
 476,947
 49,326


 Falkirk
 533,356
 533,356
 0


 Fife
 638,093
 604,674
 33,419


 Frae Fife
 199,540
 195,247
 4,293


 Glasgow Smaller 
  Areas
 2,213,486
 1,824,880
 388,606


 Glasgow Big Step
 550,642
 548,775
 1,867


 Glasgow East End
 3,323,709
 3,219,094
 104,615


 Glasgow GARA
 855,323
 817,592
 37,731


 Glasgow North
 3,516,360
 3,329,030
 187,330


 Glasgow Routes 
  Out
 401,514
 260,311
 141,203


 Glasgow Gorbals
 919,798
 913,886
 5,912


 Glasgow Greater 
  Easterhouse
 3,934,691
 3,903,739
 30,952


 Glasgow Greater 
  Govan
 1,421,857
 1,402,633
 19,224


 Glasgow Greater 
  Pollok
 3,795,838
 3,691,778
 104,060


 Glasgow Milton
 964,883
 909,712
 55,171


 Glasgow Springburn
 1,016,012
 910,110
 105,902


 Glasgow Drumchapel
 2,945,561
 2,850,730
 94,831


 Highland & 
  Islands
 971,900
 830,948
 140,952


 Inverclyde
 2,870,508
 2,464,011
 406,497


 Moray Youthstart
 529,629
 513,561
 16,068


 North Ayrshire
 779,384
 778,730
 654


 Motherwell North
 1,996,147
 1,748,722
 247,425


 North Lanarkshire
 865,564
 654,435
 211,129


 South Coatbridge
 894,608
 853,580
 41,028


 GO – Perth
 288,676
 228,623
 60,053


 Paisley
 3,445,427
 3,099,937
 345,490


 Scottish Borders
 324,758
 280,164
 44,594


 North Ayr
 1,756,673
 1,756,642
 31


 Girvan
 549,525
 544,022
 5,503


 Blantyre/ North 
  Hamilton
 3,316,125
 3,315,505
 620


 Cambuslang
 570,654
 570,547
 107


 Stirling 
 563,236
 512,733
 50,503


 West Dunbartonshire
 2,514,896
 2,514,896
 0


 West Lothian
 293,081
 271,400
 21,681


 Total
 66,322,085
 62,969,313
 3,352,772



  Note: 1. Includes all elements of SIP funding plus EYF adjustments.

Social Work

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement it has had in the review of the City of Edinburgh Council's Social Work Department following the Caleb Ness inquiry.

Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive has been kept informed about the review of the City of Edinburgh Council's Social Work Department following the O’Brien Report into the death of Caleb Ness but has had no involvement in its conduct.

Social Work

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what extra financial support it has offered to the City of Edinburgh Council in respect of the review of its Social Work Department following the Caleb Ness inquiry.

Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive has not offered any extra financial support to the City of Edinburgh Council in respect of the review of its Social Work Department following the Caleb Ness inquiry.